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Thread: Do I want to go Tankless?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Tucson, Arizona
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    855

    Do I want to go Tankless?

    Since the announcement of the appliance rebates, my husband and I were thinking about getting a tankless water heater system. We don't really have any problems with
    current system (tank) other then it being about 10 years old and it is in my workshop (garage). We do have a water softener hooked up, I don't know if that effects anything.

    So have you checked into this at all? Does anyone have a tankless system? Are you happy with it? All opinions and suggestions appreciated.

    We were also thinking about changing our dishwasher too, as long as there are rebates. It is also 10 years old and so loud . It was probably the cheapest unit the builder
    could find . Anyone have a really good dishwasher? It is usually just the 2 of us, so we run it about every other day unless we entertain. My husband also insists on
    prewashing which absolutely drives me nuts especially since I try to be GREEN (key word: trying)
    Lori K

  2. #2
    What kind of volume and pressure do you have coming out of your service? You would have to calculate a tankless system to be able to keep up. Many cannot even keep up with a shower. A whole house system is difficult. Are you thinking electric or gas? If electric, do you have enough service to power the unit(s).

    My experience is that they work well for small areas or lower volumes and pressures, but fall short for a whole house and family.

    Multiple units could help.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Monroe, MI
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    We looked into it and decided to stick with a tank type. However we have a high-efficiency tank type that uses a power vent and and PVC exhaust so the savings isn't as great. I hear conflicting stories on how well they meet demand and some negative comments on required maintenance and longevity.

    We've probably saved more money on hot water by not using hot water for laundry than anything--with no ill effects on our clothes (in other words stains still come out just fine.)


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Islesboro, Maine
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    1,268
    I installed a Rennai gas tankless water heater 2 1/2 yrs ago and have no problems with it. It's just the two of us and it hasn't run out of hot water yet. My wife likes baths in a med. tub & I like showers. We can take a long shower & never has it gone cold. Stays at one temperature that we set it at. Doesn't use that much propane either. We use an oil fired water heater by Bock for our radiant heat & it did heat the domestic also. But we couldn't see spending the money in the summer for it to heat up 80 or so gallons of water when we weren't using it so I installed the tankless.BTW the bock is a piece of S***. WE have changed it with a new on 1 1/2yrs into the warranty. It rotted out. So we installed another & that ones on it's way out.So yes we like the tankless & will never heat our water another way.....Sorry for being so long

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Meiser View Post
    We looked into it and decided to stick with a tank type. However we have a high-efficiency tank type that uses a power vent and and PVC exhaust so the savings isn't as great. I hear conflicting stories on how well they meet demand and some negative comments on required maintenance and longevity.

    We've probably saved more money on hot water by not using hot water for laundry than anything--with no ill effects on our clothes (in other words stains still come out just fine.)
    +1 on all Matt said. I looked into one stayed with a basic tank. Tankless models are too much like my high efficiency furnace which needs fiddling and parts all winter. On my furnace the induced draft blower alone cost $450.00, and I'm on my 4th in 19 years.... I'm on my 2nd control board.
    .
    "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning".
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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Bucks County, Pennsylvania
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    With a properly designed system they work fine -- you will need to do a little research to understand how they operate.

    The more common fixed output units are more difficult to integrate into the normal home and the variable output units are more expensive and complicated.


    IMO the Kitchen Aid dishwashers are the best -- I have a Bosch and an Asko also and I like the Kitchen Aid better. The european units do not power-dry the dishes and have an extremely long cycle time. All the better units are quiet -- the top KA comes with both a stainless and a less expensive plastic tub depending on what you want to spend.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
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    Northern Utah
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Godley View Post
    With a properly designed system they work fine -- you will need to do a little research to understand how they operate.
    I had a Noritz tankless water heater put in last month. And we are very happy with it. Our old water heater was put in in 1987, and it was getting time to replace it. I had 3 companies come out to give us bids and information on their tankless water heaters. One company did not do any design work to properly size our system needs. the other company wanted to put in the biggest unit they had along with putting in larger gas piping $$$. The third company did things the right way. They measured the temprature of the water coming in to the house, then did measurements of the length of hot water lines in the house and measured the temprature of the hot water coming out of all the hot water faucets we use at the same time to get the maximum gallons per minute of hot water needed. We went with that company.
    Take time to get the right information before calling a water heater contractor. And find a company who knows the ins and outs of tankless heaters. Lots of water heater contractor companies sell tankless heaters, but not as many know how to properly size the units for a house.
    Just my 2 cents worth.
    Camaster CR410 & Epilog Helix
    Prosperity, is something that business people create.......for politicians to take the credit for.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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    Geneva, Swisscheeseland
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    I installed a Bosch in my old house and it worked perfectly for my modest needs. The efficiency was great. My estimated gas reading on the bill during the summer was often higher than the actual reading the next month.
    A flute without holes, is not a flute. A donut without a hole, is a Danish.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Willow Spring, NC
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    735
    We had a Takagi TK2 tankless unit (LP Gas) in our last house in NH. I installed it myself. Never had any problems with it in the 6 or so years we had it.

    When I installed it I also added an outdoor faucet (sillcock) that I could switch between hot or cold so I could use hot water to rinse the salt off of our vehicles in the winter.

    It takes a little longer to get hot water to any faucet in the house, but you never run out. My SIL stayed with us for a few days when she lost power in her apartment, along with her 4 teen-aged kids. Those kids took some LOOOOONG showers. But there was always hot water for the next person.

    Now dishwashers. We upgraded the dishwasher the builder had installed in this house with a Whirlpool Gold. It holds a lot of dishes. The cycle time is quite a bit longer than our old dishwasher but it is very quiet. The only thing you can really here is the water when it is filling.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Tucson, Arizona
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    855
    Thank you for the replys in regards to the tankless system. I think there is more to it then we care to handle right now.

    As far as dishwashers go, I think we are leaning towards a Bosch we saw at Lowes. They have 10% off, free delivery and installation and hopefully a $125 rebate from the state. Oh yeah, 0 interest for 12 months.
    Lori K

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Alexander View Post
    They measured the temprature of the water coming in to the house, then did measurements of the length of hot water lines in the house and measured the temperature of the hot water coming out of all the hot water faucets we use at the same time to get the maximum gallons per minute of hot water needed.
    This is a very important point also! The temperature of the water from your source! If the water is too cool coming into your house, the tankless may not be able to get it hot enough.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Athens, Alabama
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    Check with your utility company (electric or water dept.), they may sell a Rinnai or comparable tankless unit for a lot less than going through a certified dealer. Our city utility will sell us a Rinnai 7gpm unit for $800. Since we need a gas line run to the location where we want the unit, we wont save any money on the cost of that, but we are still saving on the unit.

    Regards, Colin
    Where's the beef.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    Monroe, MI
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Prince View Post
    This is a very important point also! The temperature of the water from your source! If the water is too cool coming into your house, the tankless may not be able to get it hot enough.
    So what's too cold? Our well water is about 52 degrees all year.


  14. #14
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    I put a gas tankless system in our addition two years ago. I absolutely love it. While it was certainly more expensive to install due to the venting, "endless" hot water and zero energy use when not using it does the job for me. When the tank type heater "goes" in the old part of the house, it will also be replaced by tankless, although for that, I'll have to do electric due to the impossibility of proper venting there.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  15. #15
    http://www.tanklesswaterheaterguide.com/

    This gives a pretty good idea of what a person should take into consideration if thinking about going tankless.

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